For this writing assessment, you will apply your knowledge of rhetoric, legal reasoning, and the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution.

Click the link to read the School Cell Phone Policy memo. Then, click the link to the synopsis of the Klump v. Nazareth Area School District court case and read the facts of that case carefully. Pay special attention to the Nazareth Area High Schools cell phone policy as outlined in the court case.

Write a well-developed argument essay in which you take a position on whether the actions committed by school employees as outlined in the court case violated the students Fourth Amendment rights. Consider whether adopting the cell phone policy found in the memo would have been sufficient to defend school officials against the counts initially filed against them in the lawsuit. Examine the courts analysis of the case to decide whether different school rules would have affected the decision in this lawsuit.

Clarified Directions for Writing Prompt — what you will do . . .

To get a good grade make sure to include all of the following:

— establish a complete thesis statement, having a relevant claim, 

— Body paragraphs will have two – three reasons to support the claim,

— there will be a paragraph to recognize and address counterclaim using a rebuttal to strengthen your side.

— Use evidence from both source documents to support your ideas.

To access the readings, click the links.

School Cell Phone Policy memo (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Klump v Nazareth Area School District court case (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

You are writing an Argument Essay —

Introduction includes a thesis statement
Body details have reasons to support your claim
Counterclaim paragraph has a strong rebuttal with argument techniques employed
Conclusion has a call to action.

Outline Worksheet for your convenience  Return to top (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Paragraph 1

Attention grabber that is appropriate for your audience and argument.
anecdote
quotation
Question 
fact
description
Thesis statement has should or should not in it.

  Paragraph 2  —

Topics come from Brainstorm  (reason for your point of view) 

Topic-
Details (Details MUST be about your topic / reason)

  — explanation of reason (just ideas and chunks of words)

— detail about reason  (just a few words)

— ideas about reason. (just a few words)

Paragraph 3

Topics come from Brainstorm (reason for your point of view) 

Topic-
Details (Details MUST be about your topic / reason)

  — explanation of reason  (just ideas and chunks of words)

— detail about reason  (just a few words)

— ideas about reason. (just a few words)

Paragraph 4

Topics come from Brainstorm (reason for your point of view)

Topic-
Details (Details MUST be about your topic / reason)

— explanation of reason  (just ideas and chunks of words)

— detail about reason  (just a few words)

— ideas about reason. (just a few words)

Paragraph 5   

Counterclaim –   

One topic comes from Brainstorm (against your point of view)

Topic
Although some may say . . .  

Begin the rebuttal–acknowledge their reason  — (no more than two sentences)

I understand how . . .

Then write the Rebuttal word,

However, . . . 

–include ideas that show why their reasoning is incorrect —

— submit a rebuttal to the opposing idea

— offer examples of flaws in the opposing point of view 

use Ethos, Pathos, and Logos (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.  to show strongest appeal (from your outline above) that countermands opposition argument  — offer a rebuttal with compelling evidence.